Additional State Pension
Inheriting Additional State Pension
If your spouse or civil partner dies, you may be able to inherit part of their Additional State Pension. Contact the Pension Service to check what you can claim and how.
Maximum State Second Pension you can inherit
You can inherit up to 50% of your spouse or civil partner’s State Second Pension.
Maximum SERPS pension and State Pension top up you can inherit
The maximum you can inherit depends on when your spouse or civil partner died.
If they died before 6 October 2002, you can inherit up to 100% of their SERPS pension.
If they died on or after 6 October 2002, the maximum SERPS pension and State Pension top up you can inherit depends on their date of birth.
| Man’s date of birth | Woman’s date of birth | Maximum % of SERPS and State Pension top up you can inherit |
|---|---|---|
| 5 October 1937 or before | 5 October 1942 or before | 100% |
| 6 October 1937 to 5 October 1939 | 6 October 1942 to 5 October 1944 | 90% |
| 6 October 1939 to 5 October 1941 | 6 October 1944 to 5 October 1946 | 80% |
| 6 October 1941 to 5 October 1943 | 6 October 1946 to 5 October 1948 | 70% |
| 6 October 1943 to 5 October 1945 | 6 October 1948 to 5 July 1950 | 60% |
| 6 October 1945 and after | 6 July 1950 and after | 50% |
If your spouse or civil partner died within 90 days of topping up their State Pension, the top up should have been refunded to their estate (their total property, money and possessions), minus any payments they received before they died. This means you will not inherit the top up as part of their Additional State Pension.
How it’s paid
Any Additional State Pension you inherit will be paid on top of your State Pension when you reach State Pension age.
If you get your own Additional State Pension
The maximum amount of Additional State Pension you can get is £218.39 per week. The limit does not include State Pension top up.
If you get Widowed Parent’s Allowance
You may inherit Additional State Pension before you reach State Pension age. You’ll stop receiving it if your Widowed Parent’s Allowance ends.
You may receive it again when you reach State Pension age if you were over 45 when you were entitled to Widowed Parent’s Allowance.
If your Widowed Parent’s Allowance or Bereavement Allowance ended before you were 55, you’ll receive less Additional State Pension.
When you cannot inherit Additional State Pension
You cannot inherit your spouse or civil partner’s Additional State Pension if you remarry or form another civil partnership before you reach State Pension age.
The date you reach State Pension age also affects whether you can inherit Additional State Pension.
If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2010
You cannot inherit your spouse or civil partner’s Additional State Pension if they died before they reached their State Pension age and after you reached yours.
This does not apply if you’re a woman who was married to:
- a man
- a woman who legally changed their gender from male to female during your marriage
If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
You cannot inherit your spouse or civil partner’s Additional State Pension if either:
- your spouse or civil partner died on or after 6 April 2016 and reached (or would have reached) State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
- you started your marriage or civil partnership on or after 6 April 2016